lake effect
noun
: a meteorological phenomenon in which warm moist air rising from a body of water mixes with cold dry air overhead resulting in precipitation especially downwind
—usually hyphenated when used attributively
lake-effect snows
Examples of lake effect in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That lake effect snow will continue through Saturday morning.
—
Kyle David, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
Further east, more heavy lake effect snow is forecast across portions of the Great Lakes, in far northwest Pennsylvania and portions of western New York state.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
John Tlumacki / Boston Globe via Getty Images Seven million people will also remain under winter alerts for the ongoing lake effect snow.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
In parts of the Northeast, lake effect snow will contribute to higher snowfall amounts, with meteorologists warning of up to 5 inches in the Buffalo, New York, forecast area.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lake effect
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Kyle David, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
Further east, more heavy lake effect snow is forecast across portions of the Great Lakes, in far northwest Pennsylvania and portions of western New York state.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
John Tlumacki / Boston Globe via Getty Images Seven million people will also remain under winter alerts for the ongoing lake effect snow.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
In parts of the Northeast, lake effect snow will contribute to higher snowfall amounts, with meteorologists warning of up to 5 inches in the Buffalo, New York, forecast area.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lake effect
Cite this Entry
“Lake effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lake%20effect. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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